Kori Ellis
08-10-2005, 11:03 PM
Team USA: Getting Back On Track
http://www.woai.com/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=CE9D1546-4174-4C4E-9808-53B6D376EC18
By Kori Ellis
SpursZONE.com
Nearly a year after a disappointing showing in the Athens Olympic Games, the United States men's basketball team is on the road to recovery.
The first step to returning to their prominent position atop the basketball world is currently underway. Away from the spotlight and in relative ambiguity, the pieces are being picked up and the goals are being set.
The return to glory officially begins with the 2006 FIBA World Championship tournament. Not wanting to repeat the sixth place finish in 2002, basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Colangelo has been put in charge of the U.S. men’s basketball team.
Colangelo, who is now serving as the team’s managing director, met with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Jerry West and a host of other former players and coaches in Chicago to develop a plan of action.
With an aim to bring continuity and commitment to the program, Colangelo hopes to come to an agreement with 25 NBA players to represent the U.S. in international competition. All would commit for the next three years, beginning with next year's World Championship tournament in Japan.
But before any of that can happen, the U.S. team needs to qualify for the tournament.
The U.S. will compete August 24 through September 4 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in the Americas Men's World Championship qualifying tournament. The top four finishing teams (in addition to Argentina who has already qualified by virtue of winning the 2004 Olympics) will earn their nation a qualifying berth in the 2006 FIBA World Championship.
Though the U.S. is 46-4 in FIBA Americas qualifying events held since 1989, there are no guarantees in today’s basketball world. With countries around the world getting better and better every year, the danger of an upset is real.
The qualifying team is made up of twelve players from a variety of backgrounds. From the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) to U.S. players who currently play overseas, the squad promises to be an eclectic group.
The team began training in Miami on August 5. Then on Tuesday night, they departed for Brazil where they will take part in the COPA International Tournament and a series of exhibition games before returning to Miami to prepare for the qualifying tournament.
SpursZONE.com takes a look at two of the players, guard Alex Scales and forward Noel Felix, as they prepare to represent the United States this summer.
----------------------------
Common Goals
http://www.woai.com/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=C67BEC2A-77F2-4676-9741-8AD8243CA955
By Kori Ellis
SpursZONE.com
Roommates in July at the Rocky Mountain Revue for Seattle's summer league team and once again this week trials in Miami, Alex Scales and Noel Felix have become very familiar with each other.
Coincidentally, the two young NBA hopefuls have been teammates before. In 2003, both players found themselves far away from home playing for the Shanghai Oriental Sharks in China’s professional basketball league. Scales excelled offensively for the Sharks while Felix dominated on defense and cleaned up on the glass.
The following season Scales was in training camp for the New Jersey Nets, but was later cut after seeing time in five preseason contests. The 6-foot-4 guard headed back to Asia -- this time to Korea where he starred for the Seoul Samsung Thunders.
The 23-year-old Felix traveled extensively in the past year, playing basketball in Italy and the Philippines before a dominating stint in the CBA with the Yakima Sun Kings. While in Yakima the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 15.7 points and 7.4 rebounds, earning CBA All-Defensive Team honors.
As fate would have it, both players find themselves together once again in their quest to make it into the NBA -- this time representing the United States on the World Championship Qualifying Team.
"I'm very happy to get recognition at this level," said Scales. "I'm ready to represent the U.S. in the best way I can.
"Overseas I've played well. Getting a lot of minutes, I've improved my all-around game and I know that I'll make it to the league at the right time."
Neither player is short on compliments for the other.
"Alex belongs in the NBA," said Felix, who also played on New Jersey’s summer league team in Las Vegas. "He can do anything you want him to do on the floor. If you need him to score, he'll score. If you need him to distribute, he'll distribute. He does a tremendous job of getting other players involved. He's a great teammate -- that's hard to find."
"Noel plays extremely hard," Scales said. "He's a competitor. He's strong, can bang and rebound. And Noel is always after the ball on defense. He's talented; he's got all the tools to be in the NBA. He's just waiting for his time."
Each player’s short-term goal is to represent the U.S. well and qualify the team for the 2006 World Championship. Beyond that, both Felix and Scales are looking forward to making it to the NBA this upcoming season.
However for the time being, the two stay late after practice in Miami to hone their skills for the upcoming tournament. Felix, who can play both forward spots, wants to extend his range, while Scales, the combo guard, works on his ballhandling.
"I know that you can never take a play off," said Felix. "You need to consistently work hard -- in games, in practice and after practice -- to take your game to the next level."
That same type of dedication will be needed to get the U.S. team back on top. For the United States, a bronze medal just isn’t good enough.
http://www.woai.com/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=CE9D1546-4174-4C4E-9808-53B6D376EC18
By Kori Ellis
SpursZONE.com
Nearly a year after a disappointing showing in the Athens Olympic Games, the United States men's basketball team is on the road to recovery.
The first step to returning to their prominent position atop the basketball world is currently underway. Away from the spotlight and in relative ambiguity, the pieces are being picked up and the goals are being set.
The return to glory officially begins with the 2006 FIBA World Championship tournament. Not wanting to repeat the sixth place finish in 2002, basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Colangelo has been put in charge of the U.S. men’s basketball team.
Colangelo, who is now serving as the team’s managing director, met with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Jerry West and a host of other former players and coaches in Chicago to develop a plan of action.
With an aim to bring continuity and commitment to the program, Colangelo hopes to come to an agreement with 25 NBA players to represent the U.S. in international competition. All would commit for the next three years, beginning with next year's World Championship tournament in Japan.
But before any of that can happen, the U.S. team needs to qualify for the tournament.
The U.S. will compete August 24 through September 4 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in the Americas Men's World Championship qualifying tournament. The top four finishing teams (in addition to Argentina who has already qualified by virtue of winning the 2004 Olympics) will earn their nation a qualifying berth in the 2006 FIBA World Championship.
Though the U.S. is 46-4 in FIBA Americas qualifying events held since 1989, there are no guarantees in today’s basketball world. With countries around the world getting better and better every year, the danger of an upset is real.
The qualifying team is made up of twelve players from a variety of backgrounds. From the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) to U.S. players who currently play overseas, the squad promises to be an eclectic group.
The team began training in Miami on August 5. Then on Tuesday night, they departed for Brazil where they will take part in the COPA International Tournament and a series of exhibition games before returning to Miami to prepare for the qualifying tournament.
SpursZONE.com takes a look at two of the players, guard Alex Scales and forward Noel Felix, as they prepare to represent the United States this summer.
----------------------------
Common Goals
http://www.woai.com/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=C67BEC2A-77F2-4676-9741-8AD8243CA955
By Kori Ellis
SpursZONE.com
Roommates in July at the Rocky Mountain Revue for Seattle's summer league team and once again this week trials in Miami, Alex Scales and Noel Felix have become very familiar with each other.
Coincidentally, the two young NBA hopefuls have been teammates before. In 2003, both players found themselves far away from home playing for the Shanghai Oriental Sharks in China’s professional basketball league. Scales excelled offensively for the Sharks while Felix dominated on defense and cleaned up on the glass.
The following season Scales was in training camp for the New Jersey Nets, but was later cut after seeing time in five preseason contests. The 6-foot-4 guard headed back to Asia -- this time to Korea where he starred for the Seoul Samsung Thunders.
The 23-year-old Felix traveled extensively in the past year, playing basketball in Italy and the Philippines before a dominating stint in the CBA with the Yakima Sun Kings. While in Yakima the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 15.7 points and 7.4 rebounds, earning CBA All-Defensive Team honors.
As fate would have it, both players find themselves together once again in their quest to make it into the NBA -- this time representing the United States on the World Championship Qualifying Team.
"I'm very happy to get recognition at this level," said Scales. "I'm ready to represent the U.S. in the best way I can.
"Overseas I've played well. Getting a lot of minutes, I've improved my all-around game and I know that I'll make it to the league at the right time."
Neither player is short on compliments for the other.
"Alex belongs in the NBA," said Felix, who also played on New Jersey’s summer league team in Las Vegas. "He can do anything you want him to do on the floor. If you need him to score, he'll score. If you need him to distribute, he'll distribute. He does a tremendous job of getting other players involved. He's a great teammate -- that's hard to find."
"Noel plays extremely hard," Scales said. "He's a competitor. He's strong, can bang and rebound. And Noel is always after the ball on defense. He's talented; he's got all the tools to be in the NBA. He's just waiting for his time."
Each player’s short-term goal is to represent the U.S. well and qualify the team for the 2006 World Championship. Beyond that, both Felix and Scales are looking forward to making it to the NBA this upcoming season.
However for the time being, the two stay late after practice in Miami to hone their skills for the upcoming tournament. Felix, who can play both forward spots, wants to extend his range, while Scales, the combo guard, works on his ballhandling.
"I know that you can never take a play off," said Felix. "You need to consistently work hard -- in games, in practice and after practice -- to take your game to the next level."
That same type of dedication will be needed to get the U.S. team back on top. For the United States, a bronze medal just isn’t good enough.